PANAJI: The 56th IFFI commenced its flagship Indian Panorama section on Thursday with the screening of two opening films—Aamaran in the Feature category and Kakori in the Non-Feature category.
Nestled amidst the picturesque coastal beauty of Goa, Indian Panorama is regarded as the most prestigious category of the festival. The Indian Panorama this year will screen a total of 25 feature and 20 non-feature films, including five feature films and five web series participating in the selection.
The spotlight of the day was on the team of Aamaran.
Lead actors Sivakarthikeyan, Sai Pallavi, and Bhuvan Arora walked the red carpet with producer Kamal Haasan and director Rajkumar Periyasamy.
Aamaran, released on October 31, 2024, is based on the valour of Major Mukund Varadarajan, who was martyred during an anti-terror operation in Kashmir in 2014. Addressing the gathering, Kamal Haasan stressed that independent cinema is “as free as India itself.”
Independent films should not be forced within commercial structures, Haasan shared, saying their very power lies in their originality and creative freedom, which makes the battle worth fighting. Haasan also reiterated that independent films still suffer from the scarcity of exhibition platforms, a complaint aired by him for four decades.
The ceremony also felicitated veteran actor Nandamuri Balakrishna, who completed 50 illustrious years in cinema. Remembering the journey of his cinematographic life, he said it is not only the continuation of his family’s legacy but also an obligation toward the knowledge, craft, and heritage of filmmaking.